Efficacy of fulvestrant 500 mg in Japanese postmenopausal advanced/recurrent breast cancer patients and factors associated with prolonged time-to-treatment failure

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•• Based on this study, fulvestrant was approved in Japan. It showed a significantly higher PFS and OS in patients who received 500 mg versus 250 mg doses.

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•• In this updated publication, approximately 75% of patients had died compared with approximately 50% in the previous study [12].

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• This study supported the use of higher doses of fulvestrant (500 mg) among Japanese women with breast cancer.

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• This study confirmed the efficacy of higher doses of fulvestrant among Western women with breast cancer.

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• This was a follow-up analysis of the FIRST study, which again showed longer TTP for fulvestrant versus anastrozole.

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• In this study, although the efficacy of fulvestrant and anastrozole was shown to be similar, TTP was significantly longer with fulvestrant.

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• This was the first study to specifically address the optimal agent to use in sequence immediately after progression with a nonsteroidal AI. The efficacy of fulvestrant was similar to that of exemestane in the treatment of postmenopausal women with ABC who had experienced progression or recurrence during treatment with a nonsteroidal AI.